Faith - Significance Of Matsya

When the Vedas were stolen from Brahma, Lord Mahavishnu

took the Matsya avatara to retrieve them. We find in the

Vishnu Sahasranama many names of the Lord that

signify this avatara, said M.A. Venkatakrishnan in a discourse.

One of the names is Gururgurutamah. Guru and gurutamah

are not to be taken as two names, but as one. It means

that He is the highest among all preceptors, because He imparted

jnana to Brahma. During the deluge, He steers the

ship (earth), which holds the seeds of all that is dissolved

during the floods. Hence, He is dhAmah. He is satyah, because

He helped good people like Manu and others who

sought His help. He is satyaparAkramah — His actions towards

Manu and other virtuous people were in keeping with

His prowess. He is nimishah, for He does not look with benevolence upon the enemies of His devotees.

He is animishah, that is in the case of His devotees,

He never closes His eyes.

The name animishah fits the Matsya avatara perfectly, because

fishes never blinks. He is sragvee, the One adorned with

a garland. Even when He takes the form of a fish,

he is adorned with the Vyajayanthi garland.

In the Matsya avatar. He gave to Brahma,

Vedic knowledge that he had lost. Hence, he is vachaspatih —

the Lord of speech. He is udaradhI, because his janana

fills people with awe. He is agrani, because he leads people

to moksha. He is gramani, because in Paramapada,

he leads the Nityasuris. Lotus eyes are a feature if

the Supreme One, and even in the Matsya avatara.

He has lotus eyes, thereby showing his Supremacy.

Hence, he has the name Sreeman.

Desika, in Dasavatara stora, says that the Lord's movement

in the ocean created the rise and fall of the waves

resembling the movement of a swing, which the

Lord enjoyed.